Minister of Home Affairs Pavel Voicu said the farmers who have been protesting in Chisinau for over a week were warned to protest peacefully. Moreover, the police used teargas in accordance with the law and administrative proceedings were brought against tractor drivers, IPN reports.

“Under the law, each citizen can protest peacefully, but mounting the stairs of the Parliament Building with a tractor or going with tractors on sidewalks, endangering people’s security, or through the municipality of Chisinau and disturbing traffic is not a peaceful protest,” Pavel Voicu stated in the program “Moldova Live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1.

He noted that before using teargas, the police urged the protesters to demonstrate peacefully and warned them about the consequences if they do not comply.

“The persons didn’t obey the legal requirements of the police officers, aiming to go closer to Parliament with the tractor. But we don’t know their intentions. Maybe they aimed to enter Parliament with the tractor, which is inadmissible. The police used teargas in accordance with the law so as to prevent the protesters from committing illegalities,” stated the minister.

In this connection, Pavel Voicu noted the tractor drivers face fines. “The law is law for everyone and the rights of a person end where the violation of the rights of other citizens starts. Tractors cannot be allowed to travel on sidewalks, on stairs of state institutions or used in the intention to devastate buildings,” he stated.

As to the instances when police officers suffered as a result of the violent protests, Pavel Voicu said a carbineer suffered leg luxation after being crossed by a tractor. Another carabineer suffered arm injuries, while others abdomen and head injuries.